I love coconut shrimp but since he is very anti-coconut I have been reluctant to try it at home.

On Pinterest I saw a recipe for coconut shrimp with pineapple sauce and it looks absolutely mouth-watering divine.

Like OMG I need this in my life right this second.

So we went to the grocery store and to his surprise I bought coconut flakes. He was all like “What do you need that for? I hate coconut!”

And so I told him that I want to attempt coconut shrimp. Well he didn’t seem pleased at all and gave me a whole spiel on how he won’t like it, but regardless I had my mind set to it and I was making some. Hey if he doesn’t want any, the more for me!

So that night I whipped a batch of coconut shrimp and my life will never be the same.

It was ridiculously easy, takes 5mins to assemble +15mins to bake and the taste would blow you away.

So I presented them in from of Your Majesty, he took one bite and what do you know? He loved them!

He couldn’t keep his hands away!

Elly and Coconut 1 – Chris 0

If you are hosting a dinner party I totally recommend making these! They are super tasty and you will definitely impress you guests! The shrimp is crunchy and slightly sweet, the sauce is sweet, tangy and slightly spicy. Just fa-bu-lous!

Coconut Shrimp with Jalapeno Apricot Sauce

Makes: 24 shrimp

For Jalapeno Apricot Sauce:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp finely chopped jalapenos

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate while preparing the shrimp.

For coconut shrimp:

1 lbs uncooked large shrimp (tails on, deveined)

4 tbsp cornstarch (You might use less)

2 cups shredded coconut

2 egg whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papper

In a bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. (I did this by hand because I thought it might be fun not but you can use hand mixer)

Hold the shrimp by the tail and dip in cornstarch, shaking off any excess, then in the egg whites and then in the coconut.

I think this is my third time posting a recipe for enchiladas, but I just can’t help myself.

And these are beyond easy. Like I was ahhmazed at how simple they were.

It took me 10mins to throw them together and the flavors were fab!

The enchilada sauce and the chilli pepper in the filling gives it a slight heat and then the corn gives it a nice sweetness to balance it all out, then with have plenty of chicken and lots of shredded cheddar to turn it into my favorite yet enchilada recipe 🙂

Warm, fresh out of the oven topped with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Inhaled in one bite.

And so I made it happen.

These take about 20mins from start to finish and are super simple to make. Like simpler than a mix!

So forget about the brownie mix and do it yourself! 🙂

Stars: 4

Level: Easy

Comments: Brownies love ém! Serve them warm with ice cream!

Negatives: None.

Will I make these again? Yes.

Bailey’s Fudgy Chewy Brownies

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup coconut oil, melted

2 large eggs

2 tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

5 tsp Bailey’s coffee flavor

1 tsp instant espresso

3/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa

1 1/3 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup chocolate chips

vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray then cover with aluminum foil leaving a 2in overlap on each side (it’s easier to get the brownies out of the pan this way). Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a bowl, whisk the sugar and coconut oil. Whisk in the eggs, water, vanilla, Bailey’s and instant espresso.

In a bowl, sift together the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into prepared pan and bake for 18-25mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean but slightly sticky.

Let it cool for 10mins then cut into 12 squares and serve with vanilla ice cream.

I mean what’s not to love? It’s rich and creamy, super cheesy, slightly garlicky, buttery goodness that just screams Indulgence.

And made light? Without using a ton of butter and oh-so-good-but-oh-so-bad heavy cream? And without sacrificing any flavor?

Is that even possible?

Well yes it is my friends!

Yes, now you can eat as much as you want of this and as often as you wish without all the guilt!

To lighten this classic dish I used only 1 tbsp of light butter, fat-free skim evaporated milk, some plain nonfat yogurt and a teeny bit of cornstarch to thicken it all up. Add up a handful of cheese, some garlic salt and plenty of pepper and there you have Light Alfredo!

The whole meal took 15 mins to make! Seriously!

I was slightly fearful of how this was going to turn out, but at the end it turned out absolutely ahhmazing! Chris even said Perfection 🙂

So my dears there you have it light alfredo sauce! The sauce itself has only 138 calories per serving 🙂

Lighter Chicken Alfredo

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 tbsp light butter

1/2 cup fat-free skim evaporated milk

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt (or greek!)

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water

garlic salt and pepper to taste

2 small chicken breasts (about 8oz)

to season: dried basil, garlic salt and pepper

4 oz linguine or fettuccine pasta

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Before draining pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel. Season both sides with a sprinkle of basil, garlic salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through. (I used my George Forman Grill for ease!)

Keep the chicken warm while preparing the sauce.

In a saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the evaporated milk and bring to a low boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and whisk in the water cornstarch. Let it slightly thicken then turn the heat off. Stir in the yogurt. Add the parmesan and let it melt. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper.

In a large bowl mix the pasta and sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water until reached desired consistency (I used about 1/4 cup of pasta water). Slice the chicken, plate and serve immediately! 🙂

Comments: Delicious! Loved the crust, the filling was tasty and then top it with some powder sugar just yum!

Negatives: I will add a little more sugar next time because I like my sweets well sweet! So I think another 1/4 cup sugar will be perfect!

Will I make this again? Probably.

Holy Cannoli Pie

Serves: 6-8

For the crust:

2 cups sifted AP flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup cold butter

1 large egg

1-3 tbsp skim milk

Directions: In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon and pulse to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the butter resembles pea-sized crumbles. Add the egg and 1 tbsp milk and pulse until a large ball is formed. If your dough doesn’t come together add 1 to 2 more tbsp of milk. Place the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper and roll out to fit your pie plate. Spray your pie plate with cooking spray and gently transfer the dough to the pie plate. refrigerate the dough while making the filling.

Preheat oven to 350F.

For the filling:

2 1/4 cup skim ricotta

1 large egg

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp Baileys (or Amaretto if you have it!)

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions: In a food processor, pulse the ricotta, egg, sugar and Baileys until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer the filling to the refrigerated pie crust and bake in a preheated oven for 25-35mins or until the crust has slightly browned and the filling has puffed up a bit.

So you’ve probably noticed that lately I’ve been trying to lighten up everything I’ve been eating?! And well I have.

I few weeks ago I blogged a post about trying to eat healthier and that’s precisely what I’ve been doing! I’m still indulging in my dessert but I try to balance it out by eating a lot of healthy stuff during the day. So when I saw this taco pizza on Pinterest I had to make it right away.

And try to make it lighter without sacrificing flavor.

So I swapped out the ground beef for lean ground turkey, for the crust I used light crescent rolls, I also used no fat refried beans, part skim cheddar cheese…

The end result was fa-bu-lous!

The crust it light, yet crispy, the ground turkey is packed with flavor, yet not too spicy and the tomatoes add a nice sweetness to balance it all. Just a great, easy, weeknight dinner that will delight your family! 🙂

Lighter Taco Pizza

Serves: 12

Ingredients:

20 oz lean ground turkey

1 envelope taco seasoning

2 cans light crescent rolls

1 16oz can no fat refried beans

2 cups park skim cheddar cheese shredded

1/2 tomato, chopped or sliced

1/4 cup sliced black olives, more of less to taste

chopped cilantro and sour cream for serving

Directions: Preheat oven to 375F.

Unroll the crescent rolls into triangles. In a jelly roll pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray, press the crescent dough to cover the bottom of the pan. With your fingers go around the edge to form a thin crust. Bake for 11-13 mins or until golden brown.

In a saute pan over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp of EVOO. Add the ground turkey and brown the meat, breaking it up as you go. Add the taco seasoning.

Place the refried beans in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1min. Stir.

Once the crust is done baking, spread the refried beans all over it. Add the seasoned ground turkey on top, the shredded cheese, tomatoes and black olives. Bake for another 3-5mins or until the cheese is melted. Serve with chopped cilantro and sour cream.

I’ve said this a million times before and I’ll say it again.
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold winter day than a big bowl of soul warming soup.
Nothing can compare.
Nothing.
Ok maybe a big mug of hot cocoa spiked with some Bailey’s and topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup that’s equally comforting. ..
But nothing else could compare…
And besides being comfort food at its best, it’s easy to make, requires only one pod and it’s quite nutritious! This soup is nothing short of fab 🙂 It’s rich yet light, pretty thick, just a tad spicy from the chicken chorizo sausage, packed with kidney beans which are a great source fiber and we all know that spinach is a complete power food! The marinara gives it an Italian twist and the orzo is the perfect component to tie everything together in a big bowl of yuminess 🙂
Have I convinced you yet to give it a try? Because you really should! 🙂Spicy Chicken Sausage,White Beans and Spinach Soup

There’s pretty much one thing in life that I can’t give up and that’s meat.
I could never be a vegetarian…because first of all I have no willpower and second of all I really like steak…and bacon…and more bacon…
I will even give up booze before a juicy piece of steak…and knowing that I’m European and vodka runs in my blood that says a lot…
We make steak at least once a week so today I decided to make a little twist on surf and turf.
It all starts with a beautiful, marble piece of beef tenderloin. Then you add some light shrimp. Then you rub it all with some spicy creole seasoning. And then you serve it over some noodles swimming in a light creamy “alfredo” sauce. Add some peppers, tomatoes and onions to the mix. And there you have it: surf and turf!
I made the sauce with fat-free skim evaporated milk and some rose wine and yet it tasted heavenly. Thick, rich, and creamy! I didn’t miss the butter and cream at all! The directions look quite long but don’t worry the whole process is pretty simple and really it will take about 30mins to prepare…from start to finish 🙂 and your loved one will be quite impressed!Surf and Turf Creole PastaServes: 2Ingredients:
1 tbsp light butter, divided use
2 tbsp EVOO, divided use
Creole seasoning
2 8oz beef tenderloin
12 jumbo shrimps
1 orange pepper, sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup rose wine (or white)
3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken stock (more if needed)
1/3 cup fat-free skim evaporated milk
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
4oz linguine, cooked according to package directions
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsleyDirections:
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a heavy (deep) skillet over high heat melt 1/2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle the steak with creole seasoning. Once the pan is hot, add the steak, pressing it down. Cook for 1min per side then transfer to a baking dish and bake for 6 to 10 mins depending on how thick your steak is and how well you want it cooked. I like mine medium rare so it took about 7mins. In the same skillet add 1/2 tbsp of oil and remaining butter. While butter is melting season the shrimp with creole seasoning. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and cook until browned on both sides. Remove to a plate. Turn the heat
down to medium and add the remaining oil to the pan then add the pepper and onions. Let them cook for 3mins then add the garlic and cook for another 30seconds. Remove to a plate. Add the wine and chicken broth stirring to get the brown bits on the bottom of the pan and let it reduce for about 4mins. Add the evaporated milk, stirring constantly, and let it cook for 3mins. In a small bowl whisk to cornstarch and water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Turn the heat down to low and add the cornstarch mixture to the evaporated milk sauce stirring constantly. If too thick add some more milk until desired consistency is achieved. Turn the heat off, then add the parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.Once cheese is melted, stir in the cooked noodles and peppers and onions. Transfer the pasta to a plate and top with diced tomatoes, shrimp, steak and chopped parsley. Enjoy!Inspired by: PioneerWoman